Amanda Jang: Zooming Back in Person!
What an interesting quarter it’s been hasn’t it? We started off the quarter on Zoom like we had been for the past year and half. Back to the same old way of taking classes from bed in our pjs and group discussions in breakout rooms. Going back online this time around was actually difficult for me because I had just gotten used to taking classes in person last quarter. It honestly took me around three weeks to finally get back into the swing of things and not procrastinate on assignments and projects that were due. I, like many of my friends, prefer online learning because it’s more convenient to hop from one Zoom call to another instead of rushing from one side of campus to another in 10 minutes. However, there have obviously been major downsides to online learning, such as not being able to see my friends on campus or hanging out at each others’ dorms late at night. As this is my final year at SCU, I’d definitely recommend everyone to make the most of their time on campus and cherish their friends and those who are there for you during your toughest times in college, as those friendships will carry over past your graduation! We’re all going through this together, so it definitely helps to reach out to your friends and check up on them from time to time.
Going back in person honestly does make me nervous on various levels. As a commuter this quarter, I’m very much not looking forward to Bay Area traffic every time I get out of class, nor am I looking forward to not having the convenience of online learning. But, what I will be looking forward to is seeing my friends again and going to club meetings and events in person! As an active brother of the Alpha Phi Omega professional service fraternity who rushed virtually last year, I got to see what in-person rush looked like for the first time last quarter! I got to meet so many people in-person for the first time after being online for so long, and so I’m particularly excited for seeing everyone again and going out for more future volunteering events! Also, as a board member of the Korean Student Association who also had never experienced an in-person Culture Show, I’m extremely excited to take part in an in-person show this year, assuming we’ll be in-person in the Spring!
While the sudden shift from online, to in-person, and then back online can be pretty tiresome for most of us, I personally learned the importance of adaptability during this time. We’re going to have to live with COVID-19 for a long while, and so it’s very important to be able to jump between virtual and in-person learning and working formats in the future. I think this is definitely a skill everyone will need to work on going forward, but it’s also equally important to remember to maintain those person to person relationships you have even if that means through texting or video calling! I’ve certainly learned a lot about myself during the past few years, and I’m more excited than ever for what the future has in store for me.